Curve Pay is the First Wallet in EEA to Compete with Apple on iOS

Curve, the ultimate digital wallet, today announced the launch of Curve Pay on iOS, marking a watershed moment in mobile payments. Curve Pay becomes the first payment solution to leverage the newly accessible iPhone NFC interface after Apple’s acceptance of the European Commission’s ruling on competition concerns, making it the first-ever viable Apple Pay alternative on iOS.

There has been a sharp increase in the use of mobile contactless payments in Europe – last year digital payment adoption exceeded 60% for online transactions and 25% for payments in-store. This growth has a knock-on effect for consumers. Until now, iPhone users have been locked into Apple Pay, with no way for banks or wallet providers to compete on experience, insight, or economics. Curve Pay ends that monopoly. As a staged wallet with built-in smart features — including real-time spending insights, the ability to switch payment sources post-transaction, and rewards stacking — Curve Pay gives iOS users more functionality than ever before.

“The payments ecosystem has for far too long been a one player game. Now with Apple’s hands forced to open to competition, Curve Pay ushers in a new era of choice for iOS consumers,” said Shachar Bialick, CEO & Founder of Curve. “Curve Pay empowers users to see and spend their money differently and opens a gateway to more intelligent spending. We are the first in the European Economic Area to give iOS users a choice which previously did not exist. With Curve Pay also recently going live on Android, we are bringing universal access to all Curve users, regardless of device — so everyone can now manage their money, on any phone, with all the unique Curve benefits that comes with it.”

Unlike pass-through wallets like Apple Pay, which simply transmit existing card credentials, Curve’s staged architecture means it actively sits in the payment flow. That allows Curve to offer far more than a tap-to-pay experience. Customers can retroactively change the card they used, split payments, earn cashback, track spending in real time and even pay from accounts like PayPal — all through a single app.

With over six million customers and existing partnerships with major brands including Samsung and PayPal, Curve has long led the charge against the traditional players with zero fees, and offering consumers real choice. The launch of Curve Pay on iOS is a significant step to reshaping everyday spending.

Curve Pay is now available to iOS users in the European market.